Each klipspringer has a different personality! Photos courtesy of Expedition Africa keeper Savannah.

If you’ve visited the Zoo, you’ve likely met a lot of our more than 900 animal residents. Some animals are easy to spot, but others are often not as easy to see because of their habitat set up, their personalities or their sleep cycles among other things. We wanted to start a “Meet the Animals” section of our blog to introduce you to some of the residents that you may (or may not have) met yet!      

What’s brown, furry and cute all over? While a lot of our Zoo residents fit this description, today we are talking about our klipspringer family! This Mom, Dad and calf trio can be found in our mixed species yard in Expedition Africa. These three are full of personality, but their small size can often mean they get overlooked by the average Zoo– goer. That’s why we’re featuring them this month as part of our “Meet the Animal” series.  

Klipspringers are a type of small antelope (around two feet tall) with tiny hooves that can balance on the surface area of a dime! 

“This makes it possible for them to jump on small surfaces and keep their balance,” said Expedition Africa keeper Savannah.  

Another notable feature of this species is their large preorbital glands near their eyes. These glands help them communicate with other klipspringers and mark territory. You can also spot this unique feature on our Reeve’s muntjac in Lands of Change.  

Ajabu and Deborah are our male and female klipspringers. They have been a mated pair since 2017 and have had many offspring since. Deborah has had a total of seven calves and is even a grandmother to two females!  

“Klipspringers are noted as ‘least concerned,’ but it is still important that we keep a safeguard population in Zoos. It is also a huge wellbeing win that they can breed, as it is a big part of an animal’s life,” said Savannah.     

Deborah’s youngest son, Tiny T, is still living with his parents. He often gets big bursts of energy and loves to bounce off rocks or attempt to spar with his parents. Savannah noted that Tiny T never wins the sparring battles, but it’s en-deer-ing to watch, nonetheless.  

Ajabu scale training.

Ajabu’s personality is quite outgoing. He’s very friendly with keepers and loves to participate in training. Deborah, however, is a bit more aloof. Their training usually consists of targeting and using a weight scale. Ajabu is especially motivated when peanuts get involved! 

When it comes to enrichment, however, their top-tier snacks are lettuce and banana. Puzzle feeders, lick mats and hanging forage feeders are all favorites that encourage these three to use their natural behaviors.  

“We have also been experimenting with more grooming enrichment,” said Savannah. “Currently, they love large sticks and browse items to clean out their own or each other’s preorbital glands.” 

When not training or engaging with enrichment, these browsers spend most of their day grooming one another, foraging for snacks (grapevine being a favorite) or resting atop the large rocks in their habitat. They can also occasionally be seen getting the zoomies and running around their space together. Deborah likes to run alongside habitat-mate George the okapi.  

Next time you’re taking a klipspringer-esque jaunt through Expedition Africa, make sure to keep an eye out for these adorable Zoo friends! 

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Special thanks to Flammio Financial Group, Stifel-Garvin Wealth Management Group, Artemis IT, and Jim and Darleen Barfield. Their generosity makes our work possible! 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.